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Helping people to be more physically active

Choosing Health and Choosing Activity see the community as playing a key role in promoting physical activity and tackling health inequalities.

The White Paper also recognises that limited access to leisure facilities and open public spaces can cause health inequalities. In some places local strategies are already in place for the voluntary and independent sectors to provide more opportunities for sport and leisure. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has also published a plan to deliver greener, cleaner and safer public spaces in deprived areas to create more opportunities to exercise.

Sport

A guide published in May aims to encourage more formal partnerships at a local level between football clubs, community organisations and primary care trusts. It draws together examples of how football has helped to improve levels of physical activity in local communities, and deliver important health messages to hard to reach groups.

London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics will also be used to interest people in sport and promote physical activity across the country. In the run up to the Games, international athletes will prepare to compete by taking part in training camps and other events in regional sport facilities. People can already use existing facilities where the Games would be staged. After the Games, new facilities built for the Olympic village will be made into sports facilities for the community, sports clubs and housing.